2024 Tout Wars Season Review

Following a 12-year tenure in the Tout Wars Mixed Auction league, I wanted to try something different this season. The mixed draft alternate categories league, which uses Innings Pitched instead of Wins and Saves+Holds instead of Saves, certainly qualified as different.

So, how did I do in Year 1 playing in this league? Let’s just say the results were mixed. A strong finish to the season boosted my final roto point total to 84, a decent number but only good enough for 9th place in this 15-teamer. I made a few great draft picks and a few terrible picks but ultimately, inconsistent starting pitching was the biggest reason why my team was never in contention. I’m usually successful when it comes to identifying profitable mid-round and late-round starting pitchers. Not so much this year.

OK, enough general talk. Time to get more specific.

BEST DRAFT PICKS

Willy Adames (11th round) - Adames was one of my top mid-round targets this year and I pounced on the opportunity to draft a shortstop who could hit 25 homers, collect 80+ RBI and steal double-digit bases at pick #156. As it turned out, my optimistic projections were way too conservative. I’m not expecting another 32 HR/21 SB season in 2025 but Adames’ power floor is high enough that he will always carry significant fantasy value. Still, I’m concerned that the draft price hike coming off a career-best season will be too great to allow for any sort of profit.

Seth Lugo (18th round) - To think that I drafted Lugo as my sixth starting pitcher is laughable right now. I viewed the veteran righty as someone who could give me quality innings, an ERA in the 3.50-3.75 range and a WHIP in the 1.20-1.25 neighborhood. Instead, I got a 3.00 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP across 206 2/3 innings. The 7.9 K/9 rate is nothing special but that’s nitpicking. I wouldn’t mind drafting Lugo again next season but as is the case with Adames, I’m anticipating a price increase that will be too much for my liking.

Shea Langeliers (22nd round) - The .288 OBP wasn’t helpful but 29 homers and 80 RBI from a late-round catcher? Sign me up. With 51 home runs through his first two full big-league seasons, Langeliers has established himself as a reliable power source at a thin position. He’s a top-10 fantasy backstop heading into 2025.

WORST DRAFT PICKS

Sean Murphy (8th round) - Murphy, who had averaged 20 homers, 67 RBI and 66 runs per season from 2022-2023, seemed like a safe draft choice for 2024. Taking him in the 8th round was an aggressive move but I was paying for the safety. Well, that didn’t work out. Murphy’s misery began on Opening Day when he suffered an oblique strain which sidelined him for two months. The misery only continued upon his return to the field. The Atlanta catcher never found his groove at the plate, finishing the season with a woeful .193 batting average to go along with 10 home runs and 25 RBI in 72 games. Despite the awful season, Murphy’s track record prior to 2024 makes him an appealing bounceback candidate for next year.

Jordan Montgomery (9th round), Triston McKenzie (15th round), Kenta Maeda (16th round) - Montgomery was by far my worst pick, rewarding me with a 7.38 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP in 53 2/3 innings while in my active lineup. McKenzie and Maeda weren’t much better but it’s easier to recover from a poor 15th or 16th round choice than a 9th round bust. Allowing this trio to pitch a combined 141 2/3 innings in my starting lineup was a big mistake. I should’ve given up on them a lot sooner. Among the three, I’m most tempted to try again with Montgomery but my optimism level isn’t high enough to include him on a target list.

BEST FAAB BUYS

Tobias Myers ($73 on 6/17) and Gavin Stone ($68 on 3/28) - Picking up these two starting pitchers, especially Myers, helped to soften the Montgomery/McKenzie/Maeda damage but I still finished next-to-last in both ERA and WHIP. Myers was ultra-consistent throughout his time on my roster while Stone faded a bit in the second half before missing the entire month of September due to shoulder inflammation. I’m open to drafting either of these guys in 2025. Curiously, Stone’s strikeout rate with the Dodgers this year was far lower than his minor-league strikeout numbers. Perhaps he can show improvement in that area in his second full big-league season.

David Robertson ($18 on 3/28) - The most important lesson I learned playing in my first Saves+Holds league is that there’s no reason to invest in relief pitchers on draft day. I knew relief pitchers would be devalued in this format but I underestimated the extent to which they can be devalued. Robertson, who I acquired during the first FAAB run of the season, finished the year tied for 8th in the majors in Solds while providing me with excellent ratios. Of my 90 Solds, which were enough for second place in the category, 34 came from Robertson and only 29 came from drafted players. If you’re willing to sacrifice some strikeouts and start three relievers each week, a top-5 finish in Solds is achievable even if you don’t draft a single relief pitcher.

I still have five months to change my mind but that’s the route I’m leaning towards taking in Year 2 in the alternate categories league.

Thanks to the Tout Wars braintrust, including Todd Zola, Peter Kreutzer, Ron Shandler, Brian Walton and Jeff Erickson, for putting together yet another stellar season.

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